A woman reads as she sunbathes in the sun in London on Sunday. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

Summer could finally be around the corner, with weather forecasters predicting the UK could enjoy warm weather for the rest of July.

Forecasters have said a buildup of high pressure will lead to fine weather across the UK, resulting in below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures.

With parts of Britain experiencing the hottest day of the year so far on Sunday, memories of one of the coldest springs on record could soon be banished.

A few outbreaks of rain are expected between now and Friday, but then the warmer weather is expected to return and stay right through into August.

A Met Office spokesman said: "There is reasonable confidence that high pressure will build, giving fine and dry weather across most parts of the UK from Friday onwards, with a mixture of variable cloud and sunshine.

"There will be lighter winds elsewhere, with temperatures around or just above normal at first, but a good chance of increasingly warm temperatures during the course of the following week, especially inland, becoming locally very warm in sunny conditions.

"These drier and warmer conditions should continue into the following weekend and there are signals that the dry and settled weather from the first half of the month should continue across most parts of the UK during at least the first half of this period.